Live-stock-feed grinder.



G. G. BUGLE.

LIVE swocx FEED GRINDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. s, 1908.

Patented June 16, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

35 25 Z: 4 29 X 1 9 I) 1 4255 Z5\ :22 4

1 I D IOU/"5- 2/ 25 {/l/l/l/(l/IIIIIII .3 '1' UHHHHIHIH I I li I I G. G. BOGLE. LIVE STOCK FEED GRINDER.

APILIOATION FILED APR. 3, 190a.

1,100,517, I Patented June 16,1914.

3 8HEBTS-SHEET 2.

1122mm. x I 30 50 0. 0. BUGLE.

LIVE STOCK FEED GRINDER. APPLIOATIOK FILED APR. 3. 1908.

1,100,517, 7 Patented June 16,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. BUGLE, OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO NATIONAL HOG FEEDER COMPANY, OF HUNTER, NORTH DAKOTA, A CORPO- RATION.

LIVE-STOCK-FEED GRINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1908.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES 0. Boom, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fargo, in the county of Cass and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Live- Stock- Feed Grinders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of that type of feed grinding mill wherein the animal, in feeding, operates the mill to grind and deliver the feed; and to this end the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The improved machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section on the line 00 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the irregular line {/0 x of 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale, partly in vertical section and partly in full side elevation, with some parts broken away, showing the cooperating inner and outer feed grinding burs of the mill; and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view showing approximately one-half of the outer grinding bur, some portions thereof being indicated in diagram only.

To a suitable base 1 and to the hub of a base casting 2, the flange of which latter is bolted to said base 1, is rigidly secured the lower end of an upright tubular column or spindle 3. Resting directly on the hub of the base casting 2 is a cup-like bearing 4 that affords a lower run-way for anti-friction bearing balls 5. \Vorking on the hearing 4 and bearing upon the balls 5 is an upper bearing member 6, the flange of which is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to a horizontally disposed feed table 7 that is mounted to rotate around the tubular spindle 3.

The lower extremity of an upright feed drum 8, preferably of cylindrical form, is rigidly secured to and is carried by the rotary feed table 7. The feed table, however, projects a considerable distance beyond the drum 8 and is preferably provided at its perimeter with a feed retaining band 9, the upper edge of which projects above the said table, To the upper extremity of the cylindrical feed drum 8 is secured an inverted truncated conical hopper 10, to the lower and smaller end of which is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured the outer annular member 11 of a pair of cooperating grinding burs, the construction of which will be more fully considered later on. The legs of a tripod or skeleton bearing bracket 12 are, as shown, bolted to the outwardly extended flange of the outer bur 11, with its upwardly extended hub portion journaled on the upper end portion of the tubular spindle 3. This bearing bracket 12 serves to hold the upper end of the rotary feed drum or cylinder 8 concentric to the upper end of the fixed spindle 3; and, at the same time, it does not in any way interfere with the free downward feed of the material contained in the hopper, to the cooperating grinding burs. Directly resting on the hub of the bracket 12 is a bearing cone 13, over which telescopes a flanged annular ball run-way 14 that is loosely mounted on the spindle 3. Anti-friction bearing balls 15 are interposed between the said bearing members 13 and 14. A coiled tension spring 16 surrounds the upper end portion of the spindle 3 and reacts against the sleevelike hub 14 of the ball run-way 14 and against a cap 17 that is adjustably applied to the upper end of the said spindle. A long vertically disposed tension rod 18 is extended axially through the tubular spindle 3, and the threaded upper end thereof is passed loosely through an axial perforation in the cap 17 and is provided, above said cap, with an adjusting nut 19. At its lower end the rod 18 is shown as provided with an eye through which and vertically elongated diametrically opposite slots 20 in the said tubular spindle 3, is passed an anchoring bolt or pin 21. ends of this anchoring bolt 21 are passed through the hub of a three-armed gear support 22 that is mounted for limited sliding movements on the said tubular spindle 3. Each of the three arms of the gear support 22 is provided with a short upright trun- The nion 23 upon which is journaled a spur pin ion 24, between which and the said arm, anti-friction bearing balls 25 are preferably arranged. The outer portions of the three pinions 24 mesh with an internal annular gear 26 that is mounted to rotate with the feed table 7 and feed drum 8, being, shown, directly bolted to spacing blocks 27 which, in turn, are bolted to the said feed table. The teeth of the annular gear 26 are relatively wide so that they will maintain proper engagement with the teeth of the said pinions when the feed table and drum are raised, or when the said pinions are lowered in respect to the relative position shown in Fig. 1.

The inner portions of the three pinions 24 mesh with the centrally located spur gear 28, which, as shown, is formed integral with the lower end of a long sleeve 29 that sur rounds the intermediate portion of the tubular spindle 3 and is provided, at its upper end, with a flanged head 29 between which and the said tubular spindle anti-friction bearing balls 30 are preferably interposed.

- The inner member 31 of the pair of cooperating grinding burs is preferably constructed approximately in the form of a semi-sphere and it is provided with an axial passage 32, through which the spindle 3 is freely passed, and is further provided with internal lugs 33 that interlock with th upper flange of the head 29*, so that the said inner bur is caused to rotate with the sleeve 29 and gear 28. At its extreme lower edge the bur 31 is provided with an outwardly extended flange 34 that rests directly upon the lower flange of the head 29 The central or hub portion of the gear support 22 is recessed to form an annular ball run-way between which and the extreme lower end of the sleeve 29 anti-friction bearing balls 35 are interposed.

Resting upon the feed table 7 within the feed drum 8 and surrounding the sleeve 29 is an inverted conical deflector 36. This deflector 36 serves to deliver the ground feed against the lower portion of the feed drum or cylinder 8 and it also serves as a shield or housing which holds the ground feed out of contact with the cooperating gears 26 and 28 and pinions 24.

At its lower extremity, and just above the feed table 7, the feed. drum or cylinder 8 is provided with a multiplicity of circumferentially spaced feed discharge passages 37 through which the ground feed is delivered onto the projecting shelf portion of the said feed table. Surrounding the lower portion of the feed drum or cylinder 8 is a thin metal band or annular gate 38 which is provided with feed passages 39 adapted to be registered with the feed passages 37. By adjustments of the gate or band 38 the feed passages 37 and 39 may be overlapped or registered to any desired extent, so as to vary the size of the feed supply passages through which the ground feed is delivered from the drum onto the projecting portion of the feed table.

Outwardly projecting so-called propelling wings or arms are secured to rotate with the feed drum and table, and one of these is located between each adjacent pair of feed passages 37. As shown, these propelling wings 40 are directly secured to outwardly turned flanges 41 of the annular gate or band 38; and, with this construction, it is of course evident that suitable means, such, for instance, as a set screw 38 is provided for rigidly but adjustably securing the said band to the feed drum.

Directing. attention now to Figs. 3 and 4, which show in detail the construction of the cooperating grinding burs 11 and 31, it will be noted that the inner bur 31. is provided with a conical surface formed with external ratchet-like teeth 42, each adjacent two of which teeth, at their upper extremities, merge into a single toothed surface 43: while the other external or annular bur ll is provided with a conical surface formed with ratchet-like grinding teeth 44 that cooperate with the said teeth 42 and 43. By reference to Fig. 4, which is a bottom plan view, it will be noted that the teeth 44 are arranged in groups, there being, as shown, four teeth in each group and the teeth in each group, at their upper extremities, being 'so extended that they form a multiplicity of relatively coarse teeth 4?. The lower edge of this outer or annular bur 11 is formed with grinding teeth 46 that correspond in number and arrangement to the lower extremities of the teeth 44, while the upper surface of the out-turned flange 34 of the inner bur 31 is formed with grimling teeth 47 that correspond in number and arrangement to the lower extremities of the teeth 42. By reference to Fig. 3 it will also be noted that the conical surfaces upon which the teeth 42 and 44 are formed (liverge in an upwardly direction, so that the stock which is being ground will be reduced to smaller size as it passes downward between the two burs. It will also be seen that the relatively large teeth 43 and 45 permit quite large particles of feed or other ma terial to get started on their way between the two cooperating burs.

Operation: This improved mill is adapted for grinding various kinds of feed, such, for instance, as corn, wheat, oats, and various kinds of roots and vegetables. The well known purpose of grinding this kind. of feed is to make the same more digestible when eaten by swine or other live stock.

The feed to be ground is, of course, placed within the hopper 10 and is thereby fed between the burs 11 and 31. The ground feed will, by the deflector 36, be fed outward through the passages 3739 onto the projecting shelf of the feed table 7, where it may be eaten by the hog or other animal. In the very act of picking up the ground food from the table the hog will find it necessary to root or force his snout against the propelling wings 40 and, by a sort of a rooting or shoving action against these propelling wings, will cause the feed table 7 and feed cylinder 8 to rotate in the direction of the arrow marked on Fig. 2. When'the feed table and cylinder are rotated in the direction of the said arrow, the annular gear 26 will be rotated in the same direction, and the motion transmitted therefrom through the pinions 24: will cause the gear 28, sleeve 29 and inner bur 31 to rotate in a direction reverse to the direction indicated by the said arrow on Fig. 2, and, consequently, in a direction reverse to the direction in which the outer annular bur 11 is rotated, the latter, as will be remembered, being secured to the hopper 10 for rotation with the said feed cylinder and table. Furthermore, the arrangement of gears and pinions described is such that the inner bur 31 will be given several rotations in one direction, while the outer annular bur 11 is given a single rotation in a reverse direction. This, therefore, gives a very greatly multiplied travel of the cooperating toothed surfaces of the two burs in respect to the rotation of the primary driving elements, to-wit, the feed table and cylinder, so that a grinding device of high efiiciency is afforded. This multiplied rotary movement of the burs is of the utmost importance because of the slow movement imparted to the feed table and cylinder by the hog or other animal in picking up the ground food. The ball bearings interposed at the several places above noted very greatly reduces friction; and this, in a mill which must be propelled or operated by the animals in feeding, is a highly important feature and, in fact, is essential to the practical operation of the machine.

By adjustments of the nut 19 on the upper end of the tension rod 18 the gear support 22 and, consequently, the sleeve 29, and inner bur 31, may be adjusted vertically so as to vary the setting of the said bur 81 in respect to the cooperating bur 11. This makes it possible to set the machine for grinding different kinds of food stocks or for grinding any particular kind of food stock to any desired degree of fineness.

In case an unusually large and hard particle, such as might do damage to the burs if the latter were rigidly set in their relative posit-ions, is fed between the burs, a pressure above the normal grinding pressure thereby produced, will slightly raise the outer bur 11 and, consequently, the bearing bracket 12, hopper 10, feed cylinder 8,

feed table 7, and annular gear 26, it being, of course, understood that the spring 16 will yield to permit the limited upward move ments of the said parts. Sometimes, or for some kinds of food, the grinding action would not be required, and, in this case, the two burs may be set wide open or rela tively far apart, so that under their relative rotary movements they will simply act as a feed device for regulating the amount of feed fed from the hopper onto the feed table.

The mill above described has in actual practice been found highly efficient for the purposes had in view.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with an upright tubular spindle and a feed receptacle mounted to rotate around the same, said feed receptacle having at its top a hopper and at its bottom a projecting feed tray and propelling wings and feed discharge passages just above said tray, of a pair of cooperating burs surrounding said spindle, the outer being connected to rotate with said feed receptacle and the inner having a depending sleeve provided near its lower end with a gear, a non-rotary gear support connected to said spindle with freedom for limited vertical movements thereon, an annular gear connected to rotate with said feed receptacle, one or more intermediate gears mounted on said gear support and meshing with said internal gear and with the gear on said bur sleeve, a rod or tension connection extended through said tubular spindle and anchored at its lower end to said gear support, and a spring device connected to the upper end of said tension rod and eX- erting a downward pressure on said rotary feed receptacle, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with an upright tubular spindle and a feed receptacle mounted to rotate around the same, said feed receptacle having a hopper at its upper end and provided at its lower end with a projecting feed tray, and propelling wings and feed discharge passages above said tray, of a pair of cooperating burs, the outer of which is secured to said hopper and the inner of which is provided with a depending sleeve surrounding said spindle, and provided at its lower end with a gear, an internal gear secured to said tray, a stationary gear support, one or more intermediate gears on said gear support meshing with said internal gear and with the gear on said bur sleeve, an inverted conical deflector covering said gears and gear support, a tension rod or connection anchored at its lower end to said gear support and extended upward through said tubular spindle, and a spring reacting against the upper end of said tension rod and exerting a downward pressure on said rotary feed receptacle and parts carried thereby, which latter noted parts are free for limited up- Ward movement, substantially as described.

3. A machine for grinding feed comprising a rotatable feed receptacle, a hopper at the upper end of said receptacle, a grinding bur carried by the hopper, a tubular shaft passing through the feed receptacle and the hopper, a grinding bur encircling the tubular shaft and cooperatively arranged in relation to the first mentioned grinding bur, one of said burs being adjustable relatively to the other, a tension rod within the tubular shaft and arranged in co-active relation to said grinding burs, means connected with 15 under abnormal pressure between the burs, 20

substantially as described.

In testimony whereolt I alhx my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. BUGLE.

Witnesses H. D. Kimonn, F. D. NIEROHAN'L.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G 

